For Mamá and Papá
by SunBinamra
Summary: Rex and César attempt to celebrate Día de los Muertos to honor their parents. It was supposed to be family bonding, but somehow everyone else gets involved too…
1. Prologue: October 30

**PROLOGUE: October 30**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Generator Rex.**_

"Wait, what?"

César resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation at his brother's blank face.

"I thought October 31 was Halloween?"

"It is, mijo," César patiently explained. "But it's also the beginning of El Día de los Muertos. The holiday lasts until November 2, when the spirits of the deceased return to the netherworld."

"Day of the Dead? But if it's only a day, how come it lasts for three?" This time César did sigh.

"It's tradition, mijo. Don't question it."

"'Don't question it'? Are you kidding me?! You're a scientist, you're supposed to question everything!" César took a deep breath.

"It doesn't matter, that's just the way it is. Anyway, we set up ofrendas -"

"Ofrendas?"

"Altars," César continued like he was never interrupted. "They are to honor the deceased and we put out offerings of food, drinks, marigolds, and other gifts for when the spirits of the dead visit for the holiday."

"Woah, wait, hold up! Is this some sort of weird necromancy thing? Like, are we trying to summon the spirits of the dead and communicate with them or something? No offense, bro, but I'm strictly against that stuff, even if it'd be kinda cool to have an undead army." César pinched the bridge of his nose. No matter what he did in the past, Six was a saint for keeping up with this kid. And not slicing him into ribbons.

"It's about remembering the dead and praying for their good fortune in the afterlife. We used to celebrate it for our grandparents, but now I think it's more appropriate that we do it for our parents. I think they would like that." Rex still looked doubtful but seemed more open to the suggestion.

"Alright. Soooo, how are we going to do this then?" César tapped his chin in thought.

"We won't have the time or resources to pull off a full scale ofrenda… ours will have to be small and probably as inconspicuous as possible so White Knight won't order us to take it down… Perhaps we can set it up in my lab?"

"You mean the lab you blow up on a regular basis?" Rex asked dryly. César smiled sheepishly.

"Ehehehe, you may have a point there. I do have an experiment going on concerning cheaper alternatives to the armor we use in the tanks… or at least a more durable material considering how often they blow up. It's quite fascinating, really, the changes you can make when -"

"César," Rex interrupted flatly. The older Salazar cleared his throat.

"Right. Anyway, perhaps we can set up the altar in your room?" Rex made a face.

"No thanks. My roommate's a chimp, remember? Any food you put there will be gone before the ghosts can say 'boo!'"

"They're not ghosts, Rex, they're - oh, never mind." César rubbed his temples, thinking.

"We could put it in the tiny dining room," Rex suggested. "You know, where we have meatloaf night? I'm pretty sure we're the only ones who use it anyway." César nodded.

"Yes, that will work. Alright, then we need to get started right away if we want to have everything set up by tomorrow."

"Cool. So what are we getting?" César pulled up some pictures on his phone and passed it to Rex, whose eyes bugged out.

"A-are you kidding me? César, there's no way we can make something that elaborate in a few hours!"

"Ours will not be that big, but it will look similar," César said unconcernedly. "Come, mijo, we need to get to the stores before they close." He strode off down the hall towards the hangar.

"Fine, fine," Rex sighed, chasing after his big brother. The two walked in silence for a few minutes until -

"Hey César?"

"Sí?"

"Can I offer candy I get while trick or treating, or does it have to be something I made? 'Cause I kind of promised Noah I'd go with him since he's babysitting his cousin for Halloween and they're going trick or treating and I don't want to stand him up at the last minute…"

César groaned. This was going to be a long three days.

 **Author's Ramblings: First off, I apologize in advance if I got anything wrong about the holiday. I personally don't celebrate it, so I researched what I wanted to incorporate and the Internet is a very big, not always accurate place. Second, I meant to do this in time with Día de los Muertos (as in actually follow the proper days for posting) but college has been nuts so that just didn't happen. Sorry.**


	2. Day 1: October 31

**DAY 1: October 31**

"What the actual f-"

"Language, Rex," César reprimanded sharply.

The brothers were currently in the communal kitchen, attempting to make their own sugar skulls (they hadn't been able to find any pre-made skulls in the stores they explored - but what did they expect, shopping the day before the holiday?). The recipe they looked up online promised it was "an incredibly easy process," and you'd have four sugar skulls made "in no time at all."

Three hours later and Rex was ready to find the unfortunate soul who wrote the article and introduce them to his Smack Hands. César wasn't too far behind, but he refused to admit it. They came from a family of geniuses - they should be able to figure out something this simple, right?

"Okay, it says we need to check to make sure the mix isn't too dry. We don't want the skulls to be falling apart."

"That won't be a problem," Rex grimaced as he held up a handful of very wet, very sticky white… sludge. There was no other word for it.

César glanced at the mess in his brother's hands critically, then at the recipe. "That doesn't look like the picture at all." Rex snorted.

"No kidding." The younger Salazar eyed his dripping hands with suspicion, but also a hint of curiosity. Then he brought his hand to his mouth and hesitantly licked the mixture.

"Rex!"

"What? I'm just making sure it tastes good."

"It doesn't matter! We aren't going to eat them!"

"Whaaaat? Then why are we cooking if we aren't even gonna eat what we make?!"

"They're offerings, Rex! They're decoration for the ofrenda!" Rex threw up his hands, accidentally splattering the wall with white.

"What kind of crazy person _cooks_ decorations?!"

"It's tradition!"

"You keep saying that but this tradition _doesn't make sense_."

"Oh, for -" The two were interrupted by the arrival of Bobo, who shamelessly stared at the bickering duo.

"Woah. What happened here?" the chimp asked, warily stepping into the room. The counter was covered in white - sugar, maybe? - and the two Salazars were well dusted with it too. The only spots of color were the tubes of gel food coloring, still unopened. Then of course there was the splatter of unidentifiable white substance on the wall, and several more splats on the floor. Rex huffed in annoyance and shoved the recipe into Bobo's face.

"That," he grumbled. "We're cooking decorations to honor the dead." Bobo snorted.

"Ya call this cooking? Blinky could do better and he ain't got opposable thumbs." Rex threw the glop in his hands at the chimp, which knocked the hat right off his head. Bobo blinked then growled.

"If that's how ya wanna play it…" He quickly scooped a handful of white from the bowl and launched it at Rex, who dove out of the way.

"Ha! You missed!" the boy crowed, only to get smacked in the face with a glob seconds later.

"Wanna bet?" the chimp grinned. And so ensued a furious food fight, with poor César caught in the middle.

"I think you need to lose some weight, Bobo, you're already slowing down," Rex teased. Bobo scowled.

"Psh, this body is perfect! I'm just goin' easy on ya, kid."

Bobo ducked the next projectile just as the door slid open to reveal Holiday and Six. Holiday blinked in confusion.

"Um, what on Earth is going on here -?"

Too late, Holiday noticed the white blob flying at her and her eyes widened. Six was quick to step in front of her and -

Get hit smack in the face with the gooey substance. Which completely covered his precious sunglasses.

Everyone froze in shock and more than a little horror. Rex was as white as the sugary mess now coating his mentor's twitching eyebrows.

"Rex," the agent said calmly, slowly drawing his sword. "You have ten seconds to run."

Rex screeched and blew past the adults in the doorway, Six hot on his heels moments later. The three left in the kitchen stared at each other silently before Holiday spoke up.

"Um, since I doubt they'll be back for a while, do you need my help with… whatever you're making?" César cringed and glanced at the remains of their sugar skull mix.

"Well, now that you mention it…" Behind the doctor, Bobo was frantically waving his hands back and forth and mouthing _NO_. César cocked his head quizzically before remembering the birthday cake fiasco. The proverbial light bulb flicked on.

"Actually, that would be wonderful! ¡Muchas gracias!" Bobo's jaw dropped as Holiday beamed.

"Great! What are you making, exactly?"

"Sugar skulls," César answered cheerfully, showing her the recipe. Holiday looked it over and raised an eyebrow.

"You celebrate Día de los Muertos? You've never mentioned it before." César smiled sadly.

"We always used to celebrate it with Mamá and Papá for our grandparents, but now I think it's time we - especially Rex - honored our parents. It has been five years, after all." Holiday gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"Of course," she murmured. Then she rolled up the sleeves of her lab coat.

"Right, now where do I start?"

"We've tried to make the mixture for the skulls, but it's too soft. Do you think you can try to fix that?" Holiday smiled.

"I'll do my best!" She wasted no time in looking over the recipe again and mixing more ingredients.

Meanwhile, Bobo loped up to César and tugged him down.

"What are you thinking?!" the chimp whispered anxiously to the man. "The woman may have three PhDs but she can't cook worth jack!"

"Remember Rex's birthday cake?" Bobo nodded. César grinned.

"If she could make a cake with the consistency of concrete, she should be able to make these sugar skulls stick together. And besides, we don't have to worry about being poisoned since we won't be eating these." Bobo's eyes widened, and then a slow grin spread across his face.

"Oh, I like the way you think."

* * *

Two hours later, Holiday, César and Bobo had finally managed to make four sugar skulls (César had been right; with Holidays help, the skulls were solidified in no time). Well, Holiday and César had - Bobo just snickered and insulted their creations the whole time. As punishment, the adults forced the chimp to decorate all the skulls with the gel food coloring ( _and don't you dare eat it, Bobo Haha, or I swear I will cut off your pizza supply for the next month_ ).

"There are only four of them!" Holiday scolded when the chimp complained. "And you haven't done a single useful thing this whole time. So get to work!"

She sat down at the table with a huff, across from a slumped over César.

"At least that's done," he joked weakly. The older Salazar tried to smile but Holiday could tell something was off.

"Are you alright?" Holiday asked softly. "You've been smiling for Rex and acting like it's not a big deal, but this must be hard for you." César smiled bitterly.

"I am fine. I just… I never thought I would celebrate Día de los Muertos without Mamá and Papá, you know? Or at least, I wouldn't have to do that for a very long time. It's also surreal because for me, they died a few months ago, but in reality they've been dead for over five years…" If possible, César slumped further in his seat, his mind clearly somewhere else.

"To be honest… I'm partly doing this for me. I need closure, I… part of me still doesn't believe they're dead. How can they be dead? I was only gone for a few minutes! And I haven't seen them in months, but that's not unusual. Our work sometimes kept up apart for months at a time."

"I see," Holiday said quietly, but didn't comment anymore. The two sat in slightly awkward silence for several minutes.

"I'm also afraid," César suddenly whispered. Holiday raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked gently. César nervously ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm… I'm afraid they'll hate me for what I did, wherever they are. Everything that happened to Rex, everything that will happen to him, it's my fault. I put my work before my family, my _baby brother_ , and look what happened! I -" Holiday cut him off with a gentle hand on his.

"I'm sure wherever they are, they're proud of you, César," she said firmly. "Yes, you've made mistakes, but who hasn't? You're only human, and you're doing your best to make up for them." Holiday smiled. "Do you know how happy Rex was when he found out he had a brother? I believe his exact words were, 'I'm not alone anymore.' And then when you finally showed up… granted, you weren't exactly what he was expecting, but I know he was ecstatic to have his big brother back." She patted César's hand as he looked at her in shock.

"Rex looks up to you, César, and he cares about you. Don't forget that."

"You and Six are more his family than I ever was," the male scientist whispered. Holiday shook her head.

"We may have raised him for the past five years, and I'll admit I love that boy like he's my son, but you are the only blood relation he has left. You two are brothers, and nothing will ever change that." César looked at her.

"Do you really think he considers me family?" he asked in a small voice. Holiday smiled.

"I know he does," she said without an ounce of hesitation. César blinked at her confidence but offered her a smile anyway.

"Thank you, Holiday, that means a lot," he said quietly. Holiday waved him off.

"I _have_ known Rex for several years. I like to think I know how his mind works." César shook his head.

"I doubt even Rex understands how his mind works," he said dryly. The two shared a chuckle before César sighed and glanced at the clock.

"Hmm. I wanted to get the altar done today, but I have quite a bit of work to do. I guess it will have to wait until tomorrow." Holiday sat up lazily.

"Don't we all? But you're right, I should get going too." She stood and stretched with a satisfied groan. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, César." Her companion rose too and nodded.

"Yes, see you tomorrow. And Holiday?" he called as she walked away. She turned around.

"Thank you," César said fervently. The other doctor laughed.

"Of course, César."


	3. Day 2: November 1

**DAY 2: November 1**

Having spent most of the day before making sugar skulls (or in Rex's case, running from an angry green ninja), the Salazar brothers got up early to set up the ofrenda in the dining room.

"But did we really have to get up _this_ early?" Rex grumbled, yawning widely. "It's five in the morning, César."

"Considering how long it took us to make sugar skulls yesterday, I wanted to give us ample time to set this up," the older (annoyingly perky) Salazar replied cheerfully. He was rifling through the bags of materials they got two days before. "And besides, today is more important for us since the second day of Día de los Muertos is dedicated to the spirits of deceased adults. Yesterday was for the children who have died, but thankfully we don't know any. We must have this set up in time for Mamá and Papá's visit." Rex scowled.

"I don't think we need _that_ much time…" he muttered. "And if yesterday was for kids and today's for adults, what's tomorrow for?"

"Visiting the graves of the dead," César replied solemnly. "Unfortunately, Mamá and Papá don't have graves, so we'll be visiting the compound instead. I think Abuela would like to see us again."

Rex frowned briefly, noticing that although César spoke normally, his brother wasn't nearly as cheerful as before. To lighten the mood, he decided to switch topics.

"Soooooo, César," Rex started slyly. He sidled up to his brother with an evil grin. "What did you and Doc do yesterday while you were alone?"

"Bobo was there too, remember," César said absentmindedly. "Now where is that tablecloth?"

"Not for the whole time, I bet. Now spill. What happened?" Rex wiggled his eyebrows obnoxiously.

"We talked. She is a very nice woman, Rex. You are lucky to have her as a surrogate mother." Rex spluttered.

"She's not… I mean she…"

"Told me she loves you like a son." It was César's turn to grin evilly. "Those were her exact words, I believe." Rex blinked, then groaned loudly.

"Aw maaaaaaaan. No wonder she never said yes when I asked her out! And oh God," he paled. "That's so awkward. I asked her out and she thinks I'm her son. Oh my God." César shrugged, completely unsympathetic.

"Can't help you there, little brother," he said lightly, before beaming and holding up a cheerful blue tablecloth. "Oh, here it is. Help me lay it on the table, would you?" Rex grumbled but complied, and momentarily shook off his trauma to grill his brother again.

"But seriously, what did you two talk about?"

"Things," César replied vaguely. He did _not_ want to discuss his insecurities with Rex, of all people. "Don't worry about it, I'm not trying to steal your mom."

"Ugh," Rex shuddered. "Don't say that! But did you really not hit on her, like, at all?" César looked confused.

"Why would I do that?"

"You do realize she's an extremely attractive woman, right?"

"Yes, and?"

"... Are you sure we're related?"

"Unfortunately," the older Salazar quipped.

"Then how did you not…? You know what, never mind." Rex threw up his hands in defeat and plopped down to rifle through the bags. César smiled to himself. His theatrics were so like Mamá.

"So how did your run with Six go yesterday?" César asked to keep the conversation going. Rex froze.

"Don't ask," he said monotonously. Then he frowned. "And I don't get why he was so pissed. Yeah, I smacked him in the face but it was an accident and he was the one who stepped in front of it anyway! He's a ninja, he should have been able to dodge!"

"I think he was defending Holiday," César said matter of factly. He held up a handful of small cardboard skeletons. "Hmm, should these go here or here?"

"Defending Holiday?" Rex echoed. "Why would he do that? Holiday can take care of herself just fine. Plus, it's not like that goop would have killed her."

"Mhm," César said noncommittally. "Perhaps he cares for her."

"Six?" Rex started laughing. "No way. The guy wouldn't know love if it bit him in the -"

"Rex," César said warningly. The younger Salazar obediently bit down on that last word. César turned back to arranging skeletons. "And it's not such a farfetched idea, is it?" he asked idly. "I mean, if Holiday thinks of herself as your surrogate mother because she helped raise you, then Six would be your surrogate father. And I imagine it would be hard to dislike the person you raised a child with." Rex spluttered.

"Oh God, that's… I mean, yeah, Six can be kind of like a really tough aggro-nanny but still, it's… yeah," Rex finished lamely. César just looked at him. The younger boy huffed.

"Whatever," Rex grumbled. "I'm too tired to think straight." He stifled another yawn with his hand and lazily glanced at the supplies his brother had laid out. Rex blinked at the four skulls sitting innocently on a tray at the far end of the table.

"César?"

"Hmm?"

"... Why do the sugar skulls look like monkeys? Really ugly demonic monkeys?" César glanced up and made a face.

"Oh. Dr. Holiday and I made Bobo decorate the skulls." Rex facepalmed.

"Really? I thought you two were supposed to be geniuses?" the boy muttered into his hand.

"It was punishment," a voice from the hall explained. Holiday strode into the room bearing two cups of steaming coffee. She handed one to César and took a nice long sip from the other.

"Hey, why don't I get any coffee, Doc?" Rex whined. "Don't you love me?"

"Not enough to deal with you when you're high on caffeine," she said bluntly. "It's too early for that." Apparently even Holiday wasn't a morning person.

César clapped in delight. "Have you come to help us, Doctor?" She smiled.

"I'm already invested in those darn skulls. Might as well go all the way," Holiday said, amused. Then her smile faded somewhat. "Unless… I know this is an important family event for both of you, so if you'd rather I leave…" Rex and César were already shaking their heads.

"S'cool, Doc," Rex said. "You're practically family, anyway." He pointedly ignored César's knowing smirk.

"Sí," César agreed. "And I think Mamá's spirit would love to gossip with you about what it's like to raise this rascal." He ruffled Rex's hair fondly, much to the latter's annoyance. Holiday chuckled.

"That's sweet of you. Thank you both," she said with a warm smile. "Now, what can I do?"

"We've got many decorations here," César held up one of the bags. "And now we're just arranging them to make the ofrenda pretty for Mamá and Papá. Oh! And I'll need to go buy muertos later too…"

"Muertos?" Rex asked.

"Special bread for the dead."

"Okaaaaay," Rex said warily. "When are we going?"

"After we set all this up," César dumped the contents of one bag onto the table. "Oh, and by the way, Rex, how was trick or treating with Noah?" he asked curiously.

All the color drained from Rex's face. "Oh my God. I forgot, I was so busy running from Six…" He clutched his head and wailed, "Noah's gonna kill me!"

* * *

Just as Rex feared, Noah marched into the dining room later in the morning and glared his best friend down.

"So. Thanks for standing me up last night."

"I didn't mean to Noah, I swear! I was trying not to die…"

"You're always trying not to die, Rex! That's not an excuse anymore!"

"Psh, some best friend you are. Don't you care that I was almost skewered by Six?"

"You must have done something to deserve it! Hell, I don't know how Six doesn't try to skewer you every day!"

"Noaaaaaaah…"

"Oh, you're here just in time, Noah," César cut in, seemingly unaware of the tension between the two boys. Noah raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"We're going to cook some of Mamá and Papá's favorite dishes to put on the altar," César said, stretching with a groan.

"Wait, what?" Noah and Rex asked at the same time.

"It's tradition!" César beamed. Rex's eye twitched.

"Alright, if you say that one more time…" he growled. His brother shrugged.

"Well, it's the truth. Anyway, we'll be making empanadas for both Mamá and Papá. Easy but something they both loved."

"And just what makes you think this cooking attempt will go better than the last?" Rex asked skeptically.

"I've made empanadas many times before. For birthdays and such." He chuckled fondly. "Oh, you used to have such fun helping me, you would always make the strangest shapes, remember? Er, I mean…" César trailed off awkwardly. Rex looked down and pretended the comment didn't bother him.

"Anyway," Noah said abruptly, trying to lessen the tension. "Do you have the ingredients and everything?"

"Y-yes," César cleared his throat. "They're all in the kitchen. I put them there yesterday."

"Then I guess we had better get started if we want to have the empanadas on the altar," Holiday said with forced cheer. She gently steered all three boys toward the kitchen.

"Actually, it shouldn't take that long. Why don't Rex and I make the empanadas and you two can set up the ofrenda? You probably have a better eye for that than we do anyway," César suggested.

"Wait, when did I agree to help?" Noah asked. Everyone ignored him.

"Are you sure?" Holiday asked. César smiled.

"Sí. And it will give me a chance to teach Rex how to make empanada stars again!" He ruffled his little brother's hair. Rex swatted his hand away.

"Seriously, quit doing that," he grumbled. Holiday smirked.

"Okay, then. Come on, Noah." She grabbed the other boy's arm and towed him towards the table.

"Again, when did I -" Noah began before Holiday cut him off with a glare.

"You're doing it because you're a good friend, alright?" She smiled sweetly, but Noah felt a shiver run down his spine. Wow, she was scary.

 _Good luck, Six_ , he said silently.

* * *

"Alright, soooo… what do I do?" Rex awkwardly lingered in the doorway as César busied himself with the ingredients. "I don't wanna get in your way or anything…"

"No no, come here, mijo!" Rex reluctantly came to stand by his brother at the counter. César shoved a piece of paper towards him.

"First, we're going to start with the dough. Just follow the directions here and -"

"Wait, we're making the dough _from scratch_?!" Rex asked in horror. César gave him a strange look.

"Of course. Homemade is the best way," he said, utterly confused as to why anyone would do otherwise. Rex opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it.

"Okay. Well, it doesn't look too hard," he peered at the instructions.

"Good! I'll get started on the filling."

For a while, the two brothers worked in silence. The only noise was the sizzling of meat in the frying pan and the occasional curse as Rex somehow managed to spill something else on himself.

"Ready, mijo?" César called.

"Yeah, hold on, let me roll it out." Very carefully, Rex sprinkled flour on the countertop before placing the dough down and rolling it flat. César observed his brother's work and nodded approvingly.

"Well done, mijo. That looks perfect. Now, here you go," he handed Rex a star-shaped cookie cutter.

"What's this for?" Rex asked, bewildered.

"We're going to make star-shaped empanadas!" César winked. "It's a Salazar specialty, you know."

"Uh, okay," Rex said before taking the cookie cutter and starting to make shapes in the dough. César pulled out another one and began making stars on his side. Again silence descended.

"César," Rex asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Did we really used to do this all the time?" César smiled.

"Sí. You would have so much fun, and you'd be so proud of your empanadas, you'd show them off to anyone who would pay attention."

"Really?" Rex murmured, almost to himself.

"Mhm," César replied noncommittally. He hesitated before slowly asking, "Does any of this seem… familiar to you?" Rex didn't answer for a moment.

"... No, not really," he whispered. Disappointment briefly flashed across César's features.

"I see," he said lightly, looking down at the dough. "That's okay; you get to start anew, and I bet the empanadas you make now will blow your misshapen messes from before out of the water!" Rex laughed weakly.

"You bet! I'll make the best damn empanadas anyone's ever seen! Gimme that cutout thingy!" He snatched the cookie cutter from César's grasp and with both hands started cutting out as many stars as could possibly fit on the dough. César blinked at the sudden change, but soon relaxed and leaned back.

"Just like old times," he murmured, a gentle smile on his face.

* * *

"We're done!" Rex announced as he and César reentered the dining room. Rex proudly carried a basket of steaming empanadas.

"Ooooh, lunch!" Bobo appeared out of nowhere and made to swipe an empanada from the basket. The EVO was quick to pull it out of the chimp's grasp.

"Uh uh. These are for Mom and Dad. It's kind of rude to steal food from dead people, you know."

Bobo snorted. "Hmph. Stingy."

Holiday walked up while wiping her hands on her lab coat. Apparently they broke out the glitter. "You're just in time, we're almost finished here. I didn't realize Noah was such an artist."

"I'm not an artist, I just know what looks good," Noah said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. But the ofrenda looked beautiful. It was small, but the marigolds and candles were very tastefully arranged around a single portrait of the dead couple. The sugar skulls alternated with the cardboard skeletons to create a semicircle in front of the altar while still leaving space for the empanadas. The bright blue tablecloth and colorful papel picado in the background just pulled the whole thing together.

"¡Qué bonita!" César exclaimed appreciatively. "You've done a wonderful job, both of you!"

"I guess all that's left now is this." Rex held up the basket and moved to place it on the table. After making sure everything was artfully arranged (and the lit candles weren't in danger of falling over), he stepped back and the four humans (plus one chimp) regarded the altar silently.

"So that's an ofrenda," Rex breathed. César smiled.

"Yes. I think they would love it," he said softly. Rex snuck a glance at his brother but couldn't tell what was going through the older Salazar's head.

"I would have loved to have met them," Holiday said wistfully. "They sound like wonderful people."

"They were. And they would have loved to meet you, too. I'm sure you and my mother in particular would have gotten along very well," César replied, eyes not leaving the portrait in the center of the ofrenda.

"Should we have a moment of silence? You know, to commemorate the moment?" Rex suggested.

"I would like that, very much," César said quietly. And so the five were silent and motionless, the flickering of the candles the only movement in the room.

At least until the door slid open to reveal Six.

"... What's going on here?" Five heads whipped around to face the bemused ninja. Rex yelped and scurried to hide behind Noah.

"Aaaaand the moment is ruined," Noah said dryly as his best friend quivered behind him.

"We're celebrating Día de los Muertos in honor of Rex and César's parents," Holiday explained. "Why don't you join us? We were having a moment of silence for them."

"I think that idea's been shot to hell, but we can take a picture instead," Noah said. Holiday clapped her hands excitedly.

"Great! Rex, César, go stand behind the altar, I'll take your picture."

"What?" But César was already dragging his little brother to stand behind the ofrenda. Holiday took out her phone and aimed it at the two Salazars.

"Smile!"

 _Click!_

 **Author's Ramblings: I have this headcanon that César is either gay or asexual. Plus, I couldn't resist adding a little Holix in there, hehehe.**

 **Poor Holiday has her hands full, doesn't she? Looking after two Salazar boys plus a stubborn ninja and crazy chimp can't be easy.**

 **By the way, I'm so sorry for the delay! School has been nuts and I came down with a bad case of writer's block. And sorry for the weird ending, I ran out of ideas. Only one more chapter left though!**


	4. Day 3: November 2

**DAY 3: November 2**

"Are you _suuuuure_ we can't eat them?" Rex asked for the fifth time, protectively holding the basket of empanadas. César sighed.

"Rex, they've been out on the table all day and night, and they're filled with meat that's most likely spoiled by now. We're throwing them away."

"But they smelled so good yesterday!" Rex whined. "And besides, White keeps it like a freezer in here all the time. They're probably better preserved than if they'd been in the fridge!"

"Rex," César said sternly, holding out a hand for the basket. Recognizing defeat, Rex pouted and reluctantly handed over his prize.

"Buzzkill," he grumbled.

"No, I'm simply being smart. Now come on, we want to get to Abuela's before the sun sets there." The brothers hurried down the corridor towards the hangar. For better or worse, it was just the two of them; Six and Holiday could not afford to leave their duties, Bobo was too lazy, and Noah had school.

"Maybe we can get into the air before White notices," Rex said hopefully.

"Or maybe he's wondering why exactly you two are abandoning your responsibilities _again_." A nearby screen flickered to life with White's stern face glaring at the Salazars.

"Where do you two think you're going?" White asked with a scowl. Rex rolled his eyes.

"Chill, White, we're just visiting Abuela. We're celebrating Día de los Muertos." White raised an eyebrow.

"Since when?"

"Since now." And Rex strode away without another word. César and White blinked after him.

"Was this your idea?" the older man addressed the scientist. César shrugged.

"I figured it was time for him to learn more about his heritage. And remember our parents." White groaned in exasperation and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Clearly I won't be able to stop you two, but I expect both of you to be alert and on call should anything happen. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," César responded cheerfully before bounding after his brother. White shook his head.

"Those Salazars," he muttered.

* * *

Unlike the last time they came, Abuela was ecstatic about the surprise visit.

"¡Niños!" she exclaimed when she opened the door. Before either boy could get a word in, they were overwhelmed by sloppy grandma kisses.

The barrage finally stopped once César managed to say that the two weren't merely paying a social visit. When he explained why they had actually come, Abuela's smile dimmed.

"I see," she murmured. "Well, we do not have graves or memorials for your parents, but their room is untouched. In a way, it has become their shrine. Perhaps you can visit leave your offerings there?" César smiled.

"That would be wonderful, Abuela."

"Hmm, but first we should clean it up. Oh! I can ask the family to help me decorate and make it beautiful for your parents. And the muertos! Do you have muertos?"

"Sí, I have them here." César held up a small paper bag. Abuela nodded approvingly.

"Muy bien. Now, I'll round everyone up and we can all go and -"

"Actually, Abuela," César interrupted. "Would you mind if Rex and I just went in alone first? I… I just, well…" he trailed off, unsure or unable to finish. Abuela studied him carefully.

"Of course, mijo. Come out when you two are ready. Then we can celebrate their lives as a family."

* * *

Muertos in hand, the two Salazar brothers stopped before the closed door to the room. Their parents' former room. Both regarded it silently for a moment before César reached for the handle.

"César," Rex asked quietly. "Should… should I really be doing this?"

César frowned. "I already told you Rex, it doesn't matter that the bread is storebought -"

"No," Rex interrupted. "That's not what I meant. I… should I really be honoring them? Your - our parents?" César turned to really look at his little brother.

"What do you mean, mijo?" César asked, confused. "Of course you should. They were your parents, too."

"But I don't remember them!" Rex burst out. "I… I'm not even sure if I miss them, because how can you miss something you never had? Er, don't remember having?"

"Rex -" César began.

Rex laughed bitterly. "Some son I am. What the hell kind of kid doesn't remember or miss his own parents?! I don't remember doing this for our grandparents, I don't know what Mom and Dad's favorite foods are, I didn't even know what Día de los Muertos was! They don't even feel like my parents, it feels like I'm the awkward onlooker celebrating yours. How… how can I properly honor them when I never even _knew_ them?" Rex's voice cracked at the end of his rant. César put his hands on his shoulders, prompting the younger boy to look down.

"Rex," César said. His brother's eyes refused to leave the ground.

"Rex, look at me." The younger Salazar hesitantly looked up at his older brother.

"You don't have to remember our parents to honor them. In fact, you are honoring them in the best way possible by using their work to save the world. You could have chosen to use your powers for selfish gain. It would have been easy to break off from Providence and leave - I heard about how they treated you in the beginning. But you chose to stay and do good. Mamá and Papá couldn't ask for any more than that," César said seriously. "I know they would be proud of the person you are today."

"But how can they be when they're not even here!" Rex cried. "If I'm supposed to be a hero, why didn't I save them?!"

"You were ten, mijo, and the world just blew up! You can't blame yourself for that!"

"Maybe, but I saved myself, didn't I?" Rex argued. "And not only did I fail to save them, I can't even remember them!"

"It doesn't matter that you can't remember -" He held up a hand to stop Rex's undoubtedly furious retort. "You are here now, and you are making an effort to get to know them again. And even if they were here and you forgot, they would still love you because you are their son. Besides, your condition is not your fault. Never forget that."

"But still -" Rex started.

"Shush, mijo, and just listen to me. Mamá and Papá will always love you, even if they're not here anymore. And they would hate to see you beating yourself up over something you can't control." Rex looked dangerously close to tears.

"I… I just wish I could remember them," he whispered. César hugged his brother tightly.

"I know, mijo, I know," he murmured, rubbing Rex's back soothingly. The younger boy was shaking silently.

"It's not fair," Rex mumbled into César's shirt.

"No, it's not," César agreed, squeezing his eyes shut. He sighed and pulled back to look Rex in the eye. "But there's no use in dwelling on the past. Let's leave our offerings and give them our prayers, yeah?" Rex gave a thin impression of his usual bright grin.

"Sure." César gave him a slightly brighter smile in return before opening the door.

* * *

When the brothers emerged from the room, they found Abuela waiting outside. She smiled and motioned for the two to follow her.

"I have asked everyone to start preparing a special meal in honor of this day," she said. "Come, we should help with the cooking too."

"Are there going to be empanadas?" Rex asked in a small voice. His honorary grandmother grinned.

"But of course, mijo! What kind of celebration would it be if there were no special Salazar empanadas?" Rex brightened slightly at that and trotted after the elderly woman. César lingered behind, turning back to stare at the closed door longingly before slowly following his brother.

 _Things were not meant to be this way, and I'm sorry that I haven't behaved as a big brother should. Or a son, for that matter_ , he thought silently. Despite his love of logic and facts, he couldn't help but hope that his thoughts would reach his parents, wherever they were.

 _And I'm sorry I couldn't save you that day. If you'd only… If only I'd been able to get you both to my lab, maybe…_ César shuddered but quickly wiped at his misty eyes.

 _But there is no point in looking back now, is there? I promise, I will take care of Rex. You would be so proud of the person he has become. He is a true hero, just like you two._ César smiled fondly.

 _And his nanites! It's fascinating, what he is capable of. And the control he has over them! Simply unbelievable! He is living proof that we were doing the right thing. I just… I just wish you did not have to die for it._ César took a deep breath.

 _Thank you for everything. I love you._

"Oi, César!" Rex hollered, disrupting the older Salazar's train of thought. "Hurry up, man, everyone's waiting!"

"Sí, sí, I'm coming!" César called back. He shook his head at Rex's enthusiasm but obligingly picked up his pace.

 _Adiós, Mamá y Papá._

 **Author's Ramblings: And that's the end! First independent multi-chapter story down (even if it was short), woohoo! I normally avoid doing multi-chaps because I tend to lose inspiration halfway and abandon the story for a while… Oneshots are so much nicer. Again, I sincerely apologize for any inaccuracies regarding Día de los Muertos or any of the recipes used in this story.**


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